'They cost my son's life': Father of man run over by personal trainer who dismissed him as a 'smackhead' as he lay dying under her car slams emergency service's 'failures' - and killer's lack of remorse

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:49, 13 July 2026 | Updated: 19:52, 13 July 2026 The father of a man who was killed by a personal trainer has said the emergency services cost him his son's life after an ambulance failed to arrive. Paul Tomlinson, 53, said he has forgiven his son's killer - who ran him over three times and left him dying under her car - but will 'fight tooth and nail' to get him justice. Darryl Tomlinson, 31, collapsed in the road after a night out drinking in Marsh Green, Wigan, on January 9 last year.  A passerby spotted the amateur footballer on the ground and called 999, but a rookie call handler dispatched an ambulance to the wrong address, failing to find Darryl. Just 20 minutes later, Megan Murphy, 26, drove her Citroen DS3 the wrong way down a one-way street and ran him over three times. Paramedics rushed to save Darryl after a second 999 call was made but he died at the roadside 30 minutes later from 'catastrophic chest injuries'. Murphy was jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving and North West Ambulance Service apologised for failing to find Darryl before he was hit.  But Mr Tomlinson said he was 'disgusted' by how his son's death was handled and wants the ambulance service to admit they cost him Darryl's life. Paul Tomlinson, 53, pictured on holiday with his son Darryl, 31, three months before he was killed An amateur footballer, Darryl had been out drinking with friends and collapsed in the middle of the road in Wigan on January 9 last year before he was run over CrossFit trainer Megan Murphy, 26, ran Mr Tomlinson over three times while driving the wrong way down a one-way street with her windscreen covered with ice  Mr Tomlinson lay collapsed in the road for more than two hours until he was run over three times and killed by Murphy Speaking to the Daily Mail he said: 'The ambulance service was called twice, an hour before she ran over him.  'The call handler sent the ambulance in the total wrong direction. And then failed to turn up.   'They fell short of telling me they cost his life. They failed him from the beginning of the phone call to when he got struck.' After running Darryl over, Murphy then called a friend and described him as a 'smackhead' before later lying to police and telling them 'I didn't see him.'  Mr Tomlinson said he was outraged by the comment given Murphy did not even know his son. 'He used to work with me, he wasn't just my son, he was my best friend, he was everything.  'I was fuming because she doesn't even know him and regardless of whether she knew him or not. She shouldn’t have left him trapped under her car, walked away and called him names. 'She showed absolute disrespect and labelled him something he's not. Even if he was a smackhead which he is definitely not, it’s still a life.' (From left to right) youngest brother, Lee, mother, Michelle, Paul and Darryl pictured on holiday Darryl (right) pictured with his older brother Lewis in the blue jacket younger brother Lee Darryl pictured as a baby wearing a red, yellow and blue buttoned polo shirt Murphy has been jailed for six years  Following Darryl's death, North West Ambulance Service launched an internal inquiry into the incident. It found that during the first 999 call, a rookie operator - who had just completed six weeks of training - gave the wrong address to the ambulance sent to find Darryl. While the second operator, who was also new and had not yet received an emergency call involving trauma, failed to give the correct advice on administering CPR. Mr Tomlinson claimed that the investigation was used as a reason not to tell him plainly that these failings cost Darryl his life. 'I want accountability from them,' he said. 'I want a full written public apology, I want protocol changing so that nobody else goes through this. 'I want the whole truth so people know what happened to my son that night. 'I can’t get closure until we fight tooth and nail for justice for him. It’s all about him. All my focus is on him and I need all of the answers for him. 'It’s so easy to be fobbed off by an apology.' The devastated father also said the fact the call handlers were rookies was no excuse because they both 'had a call handler to the side of them to negotiate with or else what on earth are they there for. 'Why do they have a mentor there if they can’t get it right between them. Protocol should have been followed. 'They didn’t even ring the caller back. They even tried to tell me they did and we know the caller very well. They lied to us about calling her back.' The Patient Safety Incident Investigation Report for Darryl stated that 'Mentors were experienced and had completed the appropriate training.' North West Ambulance Service chiefs have since met with Mr Tomlinson but he wanted the call handler there too, 'to feel our pain and see our tears.'    In the 17 months since Darryl's death, Murphy has not once shown any remorse for her actions, his father said. 'An apology would have changed my feelings towards her, making an effort to show she is remorseful.  'Any person who has driven over someone three times should say I am sorry. But there’s been nothing from her. 'I would have appreciated an apology, because she has just taken my son's life.'  He continued: 'At the end of the day, I know nothing can change. It’s about getting over it. I cried every tear there is to be cried.  'Nothing changes because the outcome is the same, we’ve lost our son.' His demands, he said, are simple: 'Equal blame from both - one for costing my son’s life and one for taking it.' A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We are sorry for the mistakes made in the management of the 999 calls received for Darryl, and we deeply regret the shortcomings in our response. 'We have been open with Darryl’s family throughout and are committed to taking action following what happened, to reduce the risk of this happening again.'